Frustrated by the a lack of headway by mediators, family members of some 25 Lebanese servicemen held by Daesh and Nusra since last August threatened to take matters into their own hands Monday in a fresh protest in downtown Beirut.

In one of the first concrete moves in the upcoming train and equip program led by the US, 400 Syrian rebels have been named to take part in a process the US military hopes will have them ready to fight Daesh militants by September.